The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Lafford Deanery to make your search easier.

Zion Chapel was built in 1776 by the Independents, then enlarged in 1819. A Wesleyan chapel was put up in 1823 to replace a smaller one which had opened in 1802. The primitive Methodists built their chapel in 1841. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.

New Sleaford is both a parish and a part of the town of Sleaford. The parish lies 115 miles north of London and 14 miles ENE of Grantham. Leasingham parish lies to the north. The parish covers about 1,070 acres and includes the village of Holdingham.

The name Sleaford is from the Old English esla+forde, meaning "ford over a muddy stream". In 852 the name first appears as Slioford. In the 1086 Domesday book, the village is given as Eslaforde.A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.

Holdingham was, in ancient times, rendered as "Haldingham". The name first appears in 1202.

The Free Grammar School was endowed here in 1604 by Robert CARRE of Aswarby. The school eventually fell into decay and students were taught in the parish church until 1816, when the school was discontinued. It was rebuilt in 1834 in an Elizabethan style and classes continued. Although the school was free for classical learning, a fee of about two quineas was charged each year for any other branches of education.

In 1726, William ALVEY left an endowment for 20 poor boys and 20 poor girls to attend schooling. Alvey's Charity School was held in rented rooms up through 1841. In 1785, James HARRYMAN left the interest off of £100 to provide shoes and stockings for the children of this school.